1. Field of the Invention
Priority is claimed on Japanese Patent Application No. 2004-95976, filed Mar. 29, 2004, the content of which is incorporated herein by reference.
The present invention relates to a pattern formation method and pattern formation apparatus, to a method for manufacturing a device, to an electro-optical device, to an electronic device, which form a film pattern by disposing liquid drops of a functional liquid upon a substrate.
2. Description of Related Art
From the past, as methods of manufacturing devices which have very fine wiring patterns (film patterns), such as semiconductor integrated circuits and the like, although many photolithographic methods have been used, attention has also been paid to methods of manufacturing such devices using liquid drop ejection methods. Such liquid drop ejection methods exhibit the beneficial features that the useless consumption of functional liquid is minimized, and that it is very easy to control the amount and the position of the functional liquid which is disposed over the substrate. Techniques which are related to such liquid drop ejection methods are disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application, First Publication No. Hei 11-274671 and Japanese Unexamined Patent Application, First Publication No. 2000-216330.
However, in recent years, increase in density of the circuitry of such devices has progressed remarkably, and, although there are ongoing insistent demands for further progress in the fineness of the wiring of wiring patterns and the further miniaturization thereof, nevertheless, when attempts have been made to produce such minute wiring patterns, it has been difficult, in particular, to attain sufficient accuracy with regard to their line width. Due to this, a method has been proposed in which banks, which are partition members, are provided upon the substrate, and in which liquid drops of a functional liquid are disposed in the groove portions formed between these banks. However, when thus disposing the liquid drops in the groove portions formed between these banks, it has become apparent that sometimes it happens that the liquid drops do not sufficiently wet and spread out, in particular at the end portions of the groove portions.
On the other hand, it is possible that the provision of such banks as described above may entail an increase in cost, since they are manufactured by utilizing a photolithographic method. In this connection, a method has been proposed in which a pattern composed of liquid repelling regions and regions having an affinity with liquid is formed in advance upon the substrate, and the liquid drops are selectively positioned upon the regions having an affinity with liquid. According to this method, the liquid drops are smoothly disposed in the regions having an affinity with liquid, and can be disposed upon the substrate at high positional accuracy without forming any banks. However, with such a method in which a pattern composed of liquid repelling regions and regions having an affinity with liquid is formed in advance upon the substrate, and the liquid drops are selectively positioned upon the regions having an affinity with liquid, it has become apparent that the form and the appearance of the film pattern which is formed sometimes deviate to one side or another, due to the order of disposing of the liquid drops.